


The Proposal

by pigeonking



Series: The Applejack and Rarity Chronicles [3]
Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-06-01
Packaged: 2018-11-04 02:42:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 4,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10981671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pigeonking/pseuds/pigeonking
Summary: This is the next instalment in the romantic saga of Rarity and Applejack. I shall serialise it in chapters as and when they are ready as I did with The Quest for the Apple-Diamond. Postings may be a bit sporadic as I am juggling some other projects too. I couldn't stay away from my favourite pony couple for long though.Enjoy! :)I'll also be adding extra characters as and when they appear!





	1. Tea with Twilight

“So, Applejack, when are you planning on popping the question?” Twilight Sparkle asked as she cut herself another slice of apple pie. It was home baked from Sweet Apple Acres and AJ had brought it over for her afternoon tea visit to Princess Twilight’s castle. Twilight was using her horn’s magic to levitate the knife as she sliced into the delicious pie.

Applejack visibly started to sweat beneath her brown Stetson which sat upon her blonde mane and she nervously mopped her brow with a knotted red and white spotted handkerchief.

“Erm, what question would that be?” she asked.

“Don’t play coy with me!” Twilight teased with a smile as she magically lifted the slice of pie onto her plate. “You know full well that I’m talking about you and Rarity. You two must be the worst kept secret in, not just Ponyville, but the whole of Equestria. So when are the two of you planning on getting married?”

Applejack blushed, but she didn’t try to deny it. She and Rarity weren’t ashamed of their love for each other. The only reason that they kept it secret at all was because they had wanted to see how long it would take their friends to guess.

Her sister Apple Bloom and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders had found out last Hearts and Hooves day. It was no surprise to her really that Twilight already knew. She was the smartest pony in all of Equestria after all.

“Well, yeah, of course we’d like to get married.” Applejack admitted. “Truth be told, I’ve been wanting to ask Rarity for a while now. I’ve just been waiting for the right moment to come along.”

“That’s wonderful news, Applejack!” Twilight beamed. “So why don’t you just go over there and ask her now?”

Applejack shook her head so violently that her hat nearly fell off her head.

“I couldn’t just walk in there and ask her just like that, willy-nilly… nuh-uh… no way!”

“Why not?” Twilight wondered.

“The timing has gotta be just right and perfect like. Special. You know what I mean?” Applejack explained. “I’ve been wanting to take her away to Canterlot for a few days and ask her there. You know how much she loves all that high society fancy pants stuff that goes on there! That would be perfect!”

“Then why don’t you just take her?”

“Things have been a might busy down on the farm lately. I just haven’t had the time. Soon as things quiet down then we’ll see.”

Twilight regarded her friend with a smile, but said nothing.

It was then that Spike the Dragon walked in carrying a tray of tea.

“Tea’s up!” he announced. “What did I miss?” He set the tray down on the table in front of them.

Applejack shot a look at Twilight and shook her head vigorously. They couldn’t tell Spike about what they’d just been discussing. Not yet. It would break his heart. He had had a crush upon Rarity since the first moment he’d ever laid eyes upon her. If he knew about her and Applejack it would probably crush him.

“Oh nothing much.” Twilight lied. “Just Apple business.”

“Speaking of Apples, did you save me a piece of that pie?” Spike enthused.


	2. Another Quest?

Applejack was woken the next morning, as usual, by the crowing of the Sweet Apple Acres cockerel. As her eyelids fluttered sleepily open she noticed a weird looking red glow shining through the blankets that covered her.

“What in tarnation?” she muttered in her still half asleep state.

Applejack kicked off the covers onto the floor to reveal the source of the glowing.

It was her cutie mark. The three little red apples that adorned her flanks were pulsating with a magical radiance.

“Well I’ll be damned!” she remarked.

 

As soon as she was washed and had placed her hat upon her head Applejack packed a saddlebag full of bare essentials and headed out to Twilight’s castle immediately. She made sure to tell Granny Smith, Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom that she had been summoned by the map and that she might well be away for a few days. They were as understanding as they always were under such circumstances.

And so after making her way to the castle as quickly as she could, Applejack let herself in and headed straight for the map room. Twilight and Spike were already there looking very excited. They were both standing in front of the map of Equestria that took up almost all of the round table that dominated the room and so Applejack could not see who she was going on this quest with or where they were going as yet.

“Good morning, Applejack!” Twilight greeted her. “You’re just in time! Spike made pancakes!”

“With golden syrup!” Spike declared proudly as he brandished the generously stacked plate in front of her.

“I came as quickly as I could.” Applejack said as she gratefully helped herself to a pancake. “Who am I going with and where are we going?”

It was then that Rarity cantered into the room. Even beneath her saddlebag it was plain to see that her own cutie mark of three blue diamonds on each flank were glowing in much the same way that Applejack’s were.

As soon as she saw Applejack there Rarity began trotting in place excitedly.

“Ooh does this mean we get to go away together again, darling?” she enthused.

“It looks like it does.” Applejack replied and she couldn’t help blushing a little. “Still don’t know where yet though. I haven’t had a chance to look at the map.”

Twilight obligingly stepped aside with a flourish to allow both fillies to see the map table.

Two glowing representations of Applejack and Rarity’s cutie marks were levitating over a specific point on the map… a point that both ponies recognised instantly.

“Well what do you know…?” Applejack declared. “It looks like were both going to…”

Rarity finished for her with an excited squeal of delight… “Canterlot!!!”


	3. Arrival in Canterlot

The train ride from Ponyville to Canterlot had chiefly consisted of Rarity gushing about how much she was looking forward to spending time in the Royal city with Applejack, whilst AJ just sat there listening. Applejack didn’t mind. Rarity was happy and that meant she was happy too and that was that.

Before they had caught the train Applejack had insisted on a brief detour via Sweet Apple Acres to pick up an extra something to put in her saddlebag, though she had refused to show or even tell Rarity what it was.

When they arrived in Canterlot they were greeted by two of Princess Celestia’s Royal guards.

“Welcome to Canterlot, Miss Applejack and Miss Rarity. Princess Celestia has insisted that you both stay at the Royal palace while you’re here in the city.” The first guard informed them.

Rarity could barely conceal her excitement and Applejack had to swiftly stoop to catch the swooning unicorn as she very nearly passed out from giddy happiness.

Rarity blushed and recovered her composure and then they allowed the two guards to lead the way.

A short while later the two fillies were stood in their bedroom chamber at the palace. The two guards bowed their heads as they exited the room and left them alone together.

Applejack looked around their room with an impressed eye.

“A single room with a double bed and an en-suite bathroom. We really are the worst kept secret in Equestria ain’t we!” she chuckled.

“What was that, darling?” Rarity asked, snapping out of her reverie. She had been gazing in wonder at the marvellous decorations within the room.

“Oh it was just something that Twilight said to me yesterday.” Applejack replied. “They may not show it, but everyone knows we’re together, Rarity.”

“After the way we carried on in front of the Cutie Mark Crusaders last Hearts and Hooves Day how couldn’t they?” Rarity chuckled.

“Oh I think most ponies probably knew way before that. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were late comers to the party… even little Scootaloo worked it out before they did!”

“Well, now that we’re here what’s the plan of action?” Rarity wondered, changing the subject. “Should we go out and start looking for this friendship problem now or shall we get some lunch first? You know the last time I came on a map quest it was with Pinkie Pie and we came to Canterlot too. We actually stumbled upon our friendship problem whilst we were getting lunch! I suppose it would be too much to hope that history would repeat itself!”

“Lunch sounds good to me!” Applejack enthused. “Lead the way.”

And so off to lunch they went.


	4. A Rival in Canterlot?

Rarity took Applejack to the Tasty Treat, the very same exotic restaurant that she and Pinkie Pie had helped save from going out of business during her last map quest.

As soon as she trotted through the door Rarity was greeted like an honoured guest by the two ponies that ran the place, Coriander Cumin and his daughter Saffron Masala.

“Welcome, Rarity!” Coriander gushed happily. “It is always good to see you pass through our doors. I trust this must be your esteemed lady friend, Miss Applejack!”

“Even ponies I’ve never met know about us!” Applejack remarked to herself with a smirk as they were led to the best table in the establishment to be seated.

They were both given menus and left to choose what they wanted to eat.

“Eat as much as you want. Your money is no good here. You will always be honoured guests at the Tasty Treat!” Coriander assured them as he retired to the kitchen.

“You are going to love the food here, Applejack, darling! It is simply divine!” Rarity confided as they both perused their menus.

“I can’t wait to try it!” Applejack enthused.

While they were deciding the main door opened and another familiar pony entered with his own personal entourage. He was a handsome and regal looking white unicorn with a stylish golden mane decked out in a fine blue silk suit jacket.

Applejack recognised him instantly as Prince Blueblood, the arrogant and rather rude member of the Royal family that Rarity had taken a fancy to during their first ever trip to the Grand Galloping Gala. The pony’s obnoxious behaviour had turned Rarity right off him, thank Celestia, but his presence still served as an uncomfortable reminder of Rarity’s past desire to marry into royalty and become a princess. How in Equestria could Applejack ever hope to compete with that?

“There must be some mistake!” the prince declared loudly as he looked around at the Tasty Treat’s rustic décor. “Surely you cannot expect a pony of my standing to eat in an establishment such as this?”

Rarity looked up from her menu upon hearing his voice. She glared at the royal unicorn angrily.

“How dare you, Prince Blueblood!” she shouted, leaping down from her stool and trotting over to confront him. “I think you will find that it is you that is not worthy of gracing this wonderful restaurant. I suggest you leave before you embarrass yourself any further!”

Prince Blueblood stammered in indignation, lost for words at the affront of this filly’s verbal attack upon his royal person.

“How dare you address me in such a fashion!” he finally managed to say. “I think I shall leave!”

He turned to do just that, stopping only to call to his entourage.

“Come along! We will find somewhere else to take our royal patronage!”

“Actually, your highness, I think we might stay here and try the food.” One of his friends said. “It does smell awfully nice and if Miss Rarity says it’s good then that’s good enough for me!”

Prince Blueblood looked astounded. He looked at each of his friends in turn.

“Do you all feel this way?” he asked, some of the bluster had gone out of him.

They all nodded their heads.

Prince Blueblood actually looked visibly upset at this and Rarity could swear in that moment that she saw tears in his eyes.

“Fine!” he said. “It looks like I shall be eating lunch alone!” He stormed out.

After he had gone everyone cheered and congratulated Rarity on standing up to the royal bully.

Rarity smiled in acceptance of their cheers, but inside she found that she was actually feeling sorry for the prince.

“I wonder.” She muttered to herself as she trotted back to re-join Applejack. “Could he be why we are here?”


	5. A Royal Spanner in the Works

Rarity repeated this thought to Applejack while they ate.

“So let me get this straight.” Applejack surmised between mouthfuls of the delicious food. “You think that the map has sent us to Canterlot so that we can teach Prince Blueblood how to be a better, more well-mannered pony so that he’ll be able to make some genuine friends instead of just ponies that want to hang out with him because he’s a prince?”

“That about sums it up, yes.” Rarity nodded. “Don’t you think that sounds plausible?”

“And this has nothing to do with the fact that making him a nicer pony would also make him more attractive to you; meaning that you can finally marry into royalty and become a princess like you’ve always wanted?” Applejack narrowed her eyes at Rarity suspiciously.

Rarity’s mouth dropped open in astonishment.

“How could you even think such a thing, Applejack?” she retorted. “You know full well that I’m in love with you!”

“How do I know that you ain’t just making do cuz you don’t think you can do any better? I ain’t exactly a prissy, cultured pony like Prince Blueblood now, am I?” Applejack snapped back.

“It is because I love you that I am going to pretend that you did not just say any of those hurtful things.” Rarity replied with quiet dignity. “I don’t know what has gotten into you, Applejack, darling. Besides… we don’t even know for sure that he definitely is the reason why we are here.”

By this time they had both finished eating. They thanked Coriander and Saffron for the wonderful meal and took their leave of the Tasty Treat.

“I’m sorry, Rarity.” Applejack said as they exited the restaurant and she nuzzled the white unicorn affectionately. “I don’t know what came over me. Of course I know that you love me. I love you too, which is why…”

It was that moment that Prince Blueblood chose to seemingly leap out of nowhere and throw himself at Rarity’s hooves. He looked like a haggard shadow of his former self and his eyes were all puffy as if he had been crying.

“Please, Miss Rarity, I beg of you! Teach me how to be a better pony like you!”


	6. An Unexpected Proposition

Rarity and Applejack looked at each other and Rarity could not miss the accusing stare in Applejack’s eyes, as if this was somehow her fault.

“Well, Rarity?” Applejack remarked.

Rarity scowled back at her. She composed her face into a smile before turning her gaze down towards the desperate prince.

“Of course if there is anything I can do then I shall certainly help.” Rarity assured him. “As an ambassador for friendship from Ponyville it is the least that I can offer.”

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Prince Blueblood punctuated each ‘thank you’ with a grateful kiss on each of Rarity’s front hooves; a gesture which had Applejack fuming.

“She’s agreed to help ya!” she griped. “Enough with the kissing already!”

Blueblood looked abashed and instantly ceased his fawning.

“Well it looks like you might have your hooves full for a while.” Applejack continued, turning her attention to Rarity. “If you need me then I’ll be back in our chamber at the palace!”

And with those words Applejack stormed off with an angry snort and a swish of her tail.

Rarity glared after her, but made no effort to stop her. Whatever issues that she and Applejack had would have to wait for now.

 

Over the course of the next few days Rarity spent a lot of time with Prince Blueblood teaching him the finer points about becoming a better pony. This ranged from tipping waiters and other such service ponies and being sure to speak to them politely and not to treat them like lowly riff-raff; common courtesy and manners such as holding doors open for ladies, and a willingness to try new things that before he might have considered beneath him.

“By being so narrow minded in your outlook you are excluding yourself from a veritable cornucopia of wonders and delights!” Rarity had informed him.

They concluded their time together with a meal at the Tasty Treat, the very restaurant that he had disdained several days ago.

“You were right, Rarity!” Blueblood gushed as he nibbled on the spicy platter before him. “You have opened my eyes and my palate. Up until this day I had been a blind buffoon; oblivious to the harm I was casually inflicting on others! Well no more! Thanks to you I am a new and improved pony and perhaps now my peers will view me more favourably!”

“I was happy to help. Perhaps now you will be able to make new friends that will appreciate you for the fine upstanding pony that you are and not just for the position that you hold.” Rarity replied humbly.

“With that in mind I would like to say that I have very much enjoyed the time that we have spent together this last few days.” Blueblood told her. “You would have been well within your rights to send me on my way after the incorrigible way that I behaved towards you at the Gala all those moons ago.”

“Well you have shown me another side to you and proven that underneath that brutish exterior there was a sweet and sensitive pony crying to be released. Whenever I return to Canterlot it will be my pleasure to socialise with you as your friend.”

“Only as my friend?” Blueblood asked her cryptically.

“Whatever do you mean?” Rarity wondered, suddenly nervous.

Prince Blueblood scraped back his stool and knelt before Rarity offering up to her a fine looking blue velvet box. He used the magic in his horn to open the box, revealing the dazzling white diamond horn ring within. Rarity’s eyes widened in amazement at the sheer size of the gem being presented to her.

“Miss Rarity, would you do me the honour of marrying me and becoming my fair princess?”

It was that moment that Applejack chose to walk into the Tasty Treat.


	7. Heart to Heart

“I knew it!” Applejack yelled, her voice cracking on the verge of tears. “I just knew it! Well I hope you’ll both be very happy together!”

Before Rarity could say anything Applejack turned and galloped away.

She ran all the way back to the palace and as soon as she reached the bed chamber that she had been sharing with Rarity (though truth be told, Rarity had been out late with Prince Blueblood most nights that AJ had barely seen her) she took out her saddle bag and began to pack what meagre possessions that she had brought with her.

Applejack had practically finished packing and was ready to leave when Rarity came bursting breathlessly into the room.

“Have you come to say good bye?” Applejack asked tartly.

“Applejack, darling! You can’t really believe that I would want to marry Prince Blueblood, now can you?” Rarity replied trotting over to her slowly.

“Why not? You’ve always wanted to be a princess and now’s your chance. And I love you so much I’m willing to sacrifice everything we had to let you have that… if you want it.” Applejack told her, tears welling in her eyes.

“I don’t love Prince Blueblood. I love you, you silly filly! And Prince Blueblood doesn’t love me. He was just trying to make some sort of grand gesture to show his gratitude for my helping him these past few days. It was an ill thought out gesture, but his heart was in the right place.” Rarity explained. She reached out a hoof and caught the first tear as it spilled from Applejack’s eye.

Rarity drew closer and licked Applejack’s face as more tears followed and then their lips came together in a kiss of passion.

“Why are you still crying?” Rarity asked as she pulled away. “I said I love you!”

“I know!” Applejack sniffed with a grin. “These are happy tears!” And they kissed again.

Rarity was once again the first to pull back.

“Applejack, may I ask you something?”

“Of course.” Applejack replied. “As a matter of fact, once you’re done I kinda have something that I want to ask you.”

Rarity stepped back and got down on her hind knee in front of her girlfriend. She produced a familiar blue velvet box from out of her mane with her magic and held it before Applejack in her hooves.

“My dearest Applejack, I love you with all of my heart and want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

Applejack was astounded and had to take a few steps backwards to sit upon the bed.

“But that’s the ring Prince Blueblood wanted to give to you!”

Rarity smiled. “Prince Blueblood wanted to give me a token of his gratitude and so I accepted the ring, but NOT his proposal!”

“What can I say, but yes, yes, yes and yes again!” Applejack threw herself at Rarity and they embraced warmly.

“You know I was gonna ask you to marry me!” Applejack confessed when they finally came apart. She reached over into her saddle bag and pulled out the Apple-Diamond. It had been set into a golden ringlet that would have fit snugly over Rarity’s horn.

Rarity gasped with delight. “You were going to give that to me?”

They embraced again and it was then that they noticed that their cutie marks were glowing.

Apparently their mission in Canterlot had been accomplished!


	8. The Return to Ponyville

The newly engaged couple rode the train back to Ponyville the following morning. They spent most of that journey gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes. Rarity was wearing the Apple-Diamond ring on her horn whilst Applejack had woven her braid around the ring that Rarity had given her so that its diamond sparkled out from her mane.

When they reached Ponyville they made straight for Princess Twilight Sparkle’s castle. They wanted to report to her the successful completion of their map quest in Canterlot and they also wanted to confront her about said map quest too!

As they trotted through the streets of Ponyville they noted that there weren’t any other ponies present apart from themselves. There hadn’t even been anypony working at the train station when they pulled in.

They were beginning to wonder if some crisis had hit Ponyville during their absence. If that were the case then Twilight’s castle was still the best place to be.

They finally arrived at the tall, magnificent edifice that was Twilight’s royal home.

Applejack pushed open the castle door with one hoof and they went in.

The great hall of the castle was in total darkness, the only light being that which filtered in through the open door.

“What in tarnation is going on around here?” Applejack frowned as she squinted her eyes in an effort to peer into the gloom.

Then all of a sudden the lights flared up or rather the darkness melted away as if it had never been a natural darkness to begin with, but a magically induced one.

Everypony in Ponyville seemed to be present and gathered before them in the great hall. There were their friends, Princess Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, Starlight Glimmer, Twilight’s pupil, was there along with her best friend Trixie; Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were present, Big Macintosh and Granny Smith, Rarity’s parents, Spike and even Discord amongst a cornucopia of other ponies too numerous to name. Other notable attendees included the Princesses Celestia and Luna as well as Princess Cadence and Shining Armor and their baby daughter, Flurry Heart.

The whole room had been decked out for a party with streamers and balloons and tables full of food. DJ Pon-3 was providing music from her sound system set up in the corner.

A huge banner that was suspended from the ceiling declared: ‘Congratulations on your Engagement Applejack and Rarity!’

“SURPRISE!!!!” everypony cried as the last vestiges of the magical darkness dissipated.

Applejack and Rarity gawped open mouthed in astonishment, but their surprise quickly turned to delight as everypony surged forward to congratulate them.

“Congratulations you guys!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she shoved cake into each of their mouths. “Seriously, you girls were gone soooooo long we didn’t think you’d ever get engaged!”

Applejack had to chew and swallow her unexpected mouthful of cake before she could reply.

“There never was no map quest was there?” she said finally. “Y’all set this up, didn’t you?”

Pinkie Pie nodded. “See I told you they’d figure it out! Didn’t I tell you? Do you want to tell them what you did, Twilight or can I?” The pink pony was practically turning cartwheels and barrel rolls in her excitement.

“You can tell them if you want to, Pinkie!” Twilight smiled indulgently.

Pinkie took a deep breath and then…

“Well you see after your tea party with Twilight where you told her about your plans to propose to Rarity in Canterlot, only you couldn’t do it because you were soooooo busy at the apple farm, Twilight got in touch with me, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy and we put our heads together so that we could come up with a way to give you gals a nudge in the right direction…” a pause and another gasp of air… “In the end it was Spike who came up with the idea of sending you on that fake map quest. All Twilight had to do was cast a spell on the map so that it would summon you both to the castle the following morning. You would both go off to Canterlot and the spell was set to tell you that you could come back as soon as you both became engaged… which is obviously what happened. Eventually! Did I miss anything out?”

“No, Pinkie, I think that about covered it.” Twilight beamed.

“Wait a minute, are you saying that this was all Spike’s idea?” Rarity exclaimed. She sought Spike out in the crowd of well-wishers. Her eyes found his and she just looked at him, tears of love and gratitude threatening to spill over and ruin her mascara. Spike just smiled back at her. He walked over and gave her a hug.

“Did you really think I didn’t know about you and AJ?” he teased her.

“Well I guess I shouldn’t be surprised!” Rarity chuckled through her tears. “Everypony else seemed to know so why not you. Thank you, Spike for everything you did. You will always be a true and honest friend!”

“If you’re happy then I’m happy and that’s all that matters!” Spike assured her.

It was that moment that Discord chose to appear in between them, deliberately shrunk down to the same size as Spike. He flung out an arm across each of their shoulders.

“If you two have finished with all this gloopy mushy stuff I believe it is time to PART-AY!!!” he declared.

Rarity and Spike couldn’t help but laugh and they went off with Discord to join the party.

 

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next... A Ponyville Wedding....


End file.
